Stacy Lindshield
Graduate Student

My thesis examines spider monkey behavioral ecology in the wet and swamp forests of northeastern Costa Rica. The core of my research compares spider monkey density and activity in a natural and anthropogenic habitat mosaic at El Zota Biological Field Station. I initiated a second project this spring that seeks to alleviate travel restrictions caused by forest fragmentation among howler monkeys and other arboreal animals residing in the developing Talamanca region in southeastern Costa Rica. Project objectives are to research howler monkeys in the disturbance matrix, install and monitor aerial pathways, or bridges, glean information from bridge-use behavior, and investigate local social, economic and political conditions considered in a global context in order to enhance species-specific conservation strategies.

While at ISU, I completed the Graduate Certificate in Forensic Science, which allowed for additional interdisciplinary study relevant to biological anthropology.